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E. N. WHHE.

PHOTOGRAPHIC PRINTING FRAME 1 1/1, z, -1 I /r r Patented Oct. 21, 1919.

UNITED sTATEs PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD nnrsan WHITE, or ,GUANTANAMO, CUBA, ASSIGNOR or ONE-HALF T WILLIAIJI HENEAGE RAMSAY, or ,GUAN'IVANA'MO, CUBA.

:PHoroGaArnIc-rmnrms; FRAME.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDwARn-NnLsAN lVI-rrrn, citizen of the United States, re siding at Guantanamo, Cuba, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Pliotographic-Printing Frames; and I do hereby declare the follow-ingto be a full,

clear, and exact description of the invention, such aswill enable othersskilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use the same. 3 t

This invention relates to photographic printing frames and is directed'tothe pros;

vision ofa frame of an improved construe-ltion whereby borders of various: widths and; shapes may be produced on photographic prints, whether obtained from films or from[,. dry plates, irrespective of the size and shape], of thc film or plate.

The invention further involves the provi-lig-i sion of an improved device for pressing the] j sensitized paper c against the negatives whether film or plate, so as to hold it'inf place during the printing operation, this pressing device forming part of the back of the frame and beingreadily removable therefrom and replaceable by a device of different size or shape to correspond with theprinting opening in the mask, which latter is likewise made removable for the same "purpose."

. In employing-the invention in the form at present considered preferable, I provide a mask in the nature of a; plate or sheet of suitable materiahwhich is adapted to rest againstthe usual glass plate in the frame,

and which has formed in it at one end an opening for the' reception of the negative and corresponding in size and shape thereto, this opening being edged with a strip of opaque material which projects beyond'its margin and is utilizedto form'the desired border on the print; The back of the frame is constructed to receive the presser device above referred to, this device 'being in the form of a removable panel carrying upon its outer face a pad which generally conforms in size and shape to the printing open-' ing in the mask, and which when "the back is in the closed position, bears-"directly against thepaper and thus holds it yieldingly against the negative. The mask and the panel and pad constitute what may be regarded as aprinting set, and any number of these sets may be employed in connection! with a single framc or holder, s0 thattlie Specification of Letters Y'atent'. P a ijentefl Oct, 21, 1919 Application filed February-8, 1919. SeriaLNo. 275,795.

lattermay be utilized to obtain prints-from films and plates. whose dimensions vary within an appreciable range, the interchange of sets being easily effected. I

Y The drawings illustrate .what is regarded as the preferredform in which to embody the invention, but it is to be understood that noflimitation to theprecise structural features illustrated is contemplated, since modifications and changes may well be. made within the, scope of the invention as subse quently claimed In said drawings I Figure 1 is a rear elevation of the improved printing frame, showing the member or sectionof the back which carries the presser device in open position and also showing a film partly removed from the frame; I i

Fig. 2 is a longitudinalsectional view ofthe frame in closed position; Figs. 3and 4 are perspective views of the mask and presser device, respectively, a portion of Fig. 3 being broken away adjacent the-printing opening to disclose more clearly the arrangement of the opaque strip for producing the border; and v V Fig, 5 is a perspective view of the presser device and its carrier. 1 I? a Referring more particularly to thedraw- 'in'g, the frame consists, generally, of a main inember' or frame proper 1, and a rear member'ofback 2, as is usual in devices ofthis character, the back consisting, in turn, of two sections 3 and 4 which are hinged together along theiradjace'nt edges and are retained in place in closed position in the main member orframe proper by "suitable spring clips 5, the ends of which are designed for engagement by catches 6 fastened to the rear face of the frame.- "Theframe is also provided with the usual plate of transparent glass indicated at 7, all oftheparts just specified being-in the main' or conventional form and manner.- i y The printing set, which presents the essential features of the invention, consists, as previously stated, of a mask, and a device cooperating therewith for pressing the paper againstthe negative during printing. The

utilizable in'the ordinary former of the two parts indicated consists of a plate or sheet 8 of heavy cardboard or "the like,'in one end of which is cut an openingQhavin'g the exact size and shape of the ing along the marginal edges of the opening 9 and projecting beyond those edges inwardly of or over the opening to the extent necessary to form ablank border of the required width upon the print; it being understood, of course, that the negative will fit in the opening 9, and that the portion of the opaque strip which projects out into the opening will overlie the sensitized paper and prevent printing on the latter to that extent. lVith the arrangement above described, thev border will be formed along three edges only of the print; the border along-the remaining or fourth edge may be produced by means of an opaque strip 11 similar to the strip 10, which bridges the outer end of the opening 9 and may be secured either to the mask or to the inner face of the glass plate 7, as may be preferred.

The other element of the printing set p referably consists of a pad 12 of the required thickness and of a shape conforming to that of the mask opening 9, this pad being secured to a panel 13 which, in turn, is slidably mounted in the section 3 of the back 2. The section 3, as shown in Fig. 5, may be provided with a suitable slideway 14:, which is in the inner face of the section 3, and which has its opposite edge walls undercut to formguide grooves 15. The outer face of the pad 12 is preferably furnished with a covering of felt or similar yielding material,

and since the pad conforms in size and shape with the mask opening 9, a change in the size of the film from which the print is to be made will entail the removal of both the mask and the pad, and the substitution therefor of a new printing set in which the mask opening and pad are of the proper size. However, the mask may be readily withdrawn from the frame and replaced by a new one after theback 2 has been detached, and the panel 13jwhich carries the pad can be easily slid out of its seat in the back member or section 3, so that the operation of changing from one printing set to another requires but little time.

I. claim as my invention:

1. The combination with a printing frame comprising a main member, and a back removably fitting therein, of a mask removably fitting in the main member and having a printing opening, and a pad connected to the back in position to fit in said opening when the back is in place.

2. A mask for printing frames having a printing opening which is adapted to receive a negative and which conforms in size and shape to the negative so as to permit sald negative to [it therein and be held in place by the edges thereof during printing.

3. A mask for printing frames having an opening to receive a negative during printing, said opening conforming in size and shape to the negative, and a projecting strip of opaque material attached to the front face of the mask and extending along the marginal edge of the opening in position to overlie the negative so as to produce a blank border on the print.

a. The combination with a printing frame comprising a. main member, a glass plate fitting therein and a detachable back, of a mask removably arranged within the main member against said plate and having a printing opening at one end thereof to re ceive a negative during printing, a strip of opaque material attached to the mask along the edge of said opening and extending across the latter in position to overlie the negative so as to produce a blank border along a portion of the margin of the print, and opaque material on said plate in position to bridge the open end of said opening and thereby produce a blank border along the remainder of the margin of the print. 7

5. The combination with a printing frame comprising a main membc and a detachable back therefor embodying a pair of hinged sections, of a mask removably fitting in the main member and having a printing opening, and a pad removably connected to the inner face of one of said back sections in position to fit in said opening when the back is in place.

6. The combination with a printing frame comprising a main member and a detachable back therefor embodying a. pair of hinged sections, of a mask removably fitting in the main member and having a printing opening, a panel. slidably connected to the inner face of the back section whichis adapted to cover said opening, and a pad carried by the panel in position to fit in said opening.

7 The combination with a printing frame comprising a main member and a detachable back therefor, of a maskremovably siting in the main member and having a printing opening to receive a negative during print ing, said opening having a projecting strip of opaque material extending along its marginal edge in position to overlie the negative so as to produce a blank border on the print, and a pad connected to the back in position to fit in said opening when the back is in place.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

EDlVARD NELSAN lVIlITll.

Copies o! this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

